Improvement in straw-cutters



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Y Straw Cutter No. 33,343. l Patented April 23,1333.

N. PETERS, PhokLIhognph-f. washington. D, c.

UNITED STATES PATENT OEEICE.

RICHARD I/VASHBURN, OF RAMAPO, NEI/V YORK.

IMPROVEMENT IN STRAW-CUTTERS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 38,3116, dated April28, 1863.

.To all whom it may concern.:

Be it known that I, RICHARD WAsHBURN, of Ramapo, in the county ofRockland and State of New York, have invented a new and ImprovedStraw-Gutter; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full,clear, and

exact description of the same, reference being had to the accompanyingdrawings, forming a part of this specification, in which- Figure lrepresents a front elevation of my invention. Fig. 2 is a longitudinalvertical section of the same, the line m x, Fig. l, indieating the planeof section.

Similar letters of reference in both views indicate corresponding parts.

This invention consists in the combination of a reciprocatingstraw-holder bottom with a reciprocating knife, both having asimultaneous motion toward each other, whereby the length of stroke, orextent of Inovement in the parts required in cutting the straw, isdivided between the moving bottom and the moving cutter.

It consists, further, in the arrangement of a lever which has itsfulcrum on a pivot secured in the main frame, in combination with thehand-lever, which is suspended at one end from a link pivoted to themain frame, and which is fastened in its middle to the knifehead, whichis connected to the main frame by a short link insuch a manner that thehandlever, together with the knife-head, receives a drawing motion, andthe operation of cutting is thereby considerably facilitated.

To enable others skilled in the art to make and use my invention, I willproceed to describe it with reference to the drawings.

Arepresentstheboxofmystrawcutter,which is constructed of wood or anyother suitable material in the ordinary shape and size. It is supportedin the rear by a leg, B, and in front by the frame B, the lowerextremities of which form two legs, as clearly shown in Fig. l of thedrawings. The bottom of the box A is divided in two parts, the smallestor rear part being stationary and rigidly fixed to the box. The frontpart, O, however, is hinged to the rear part, so that its front endrises and falls, and said front end connects by a rod, ct, and lever Gwith the hand-lever D, which also imparts motion to the knife E.

hand-lever can be increased and still suflcient Y stroke is imparted tothe knife. The knife E is secured to a head, F, the upper part of whichis connected to the main frame B by a link, I), that is pivoted to thehead and the frame, as clearly shown in Fig. l. The lower part of saidhead is attached to the hand-lever D by a pivot, c, and a link or lever,d, which is fulcrumed on a pivot, c, at the rear side of the frame B,connects with one end of the hand-lever by a pivot, f. The other end ofsaid hand-lever near to the handle is secured by a pivot, g, to the longarm of a lever, G, which has its fulcrum on a pivot, h, that is firmlyinserted into the cross-bar of the frame B, and the short arm of saidlever is hinged to the lower end of the rod a, which imparts motion tothe drop-bottom O, as previously described. By depressing the hand-leverD the ends of the lever Gr are compelled to describe circles round thepivot h, and the lever, together with the head F of the knife E, partakeof this circular motion, thus producing a shear cut, which considerablyfacilitates the operation of cutting. At thesalne time, while the knifedescends, the drop-bottom C ascends through the agency of the short armof the lever G and rod et, and a comparatively small stroke of thehand-lever carries the knife through a thick layer of straw or othermateterial which it is desired to cut.

The construction of my straw-cutter is very simple, all its parts are soarranged that they are not liable to get out of order, and it can beoperated with little exertion.

I do not claim, broadly, the use of a reciprocating or movable strawbox5but What I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. The combination of the reciprocating bottom C with the reciprocatingknife E in knife-head F, and link I), all constructed and the mannersubstantially as herein shown operating in the manner and for thepurpose and described, so that both the knife and the herein shown anddescribed.

bottom shall have a simultaneous .movement RICHARD WASHBUBN.

to and from each other, all as set forth. Witnesses: 2. Thearrangemement of the lever G in DANL. ROBERTSON7 combination with thehand-lever D, link d, M. S. PARTRIDGE.

